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VFW survey: Fix VA services instead of outsourcing them

WASHINGTON — An overwhelming number of Veterans of Foreign Wars members prefer fixing Veterans Affairs medical services to establishing a new private-care based health system for them, according to a new survey released this week by the group.

The poll, which collected responses from nearly 11,000 veterans last fall, also found significant improvements in VA care in recent years.

More than two-third of respondents said they were satisfied with their experience at VA facilities. Nearly 60 percent of the veterans said they have seen better service and access or described their local facility as already being “high performing.”

VFW officials said the results show that “VA is on the right track,” but also warned that VA is still far from a perfect system.

“Respondents indicated that VA still has a lot of work ahead in order to fully restore the trust of those it was created to serve,” the report stated. “Nearly 40 percent of veterans reported that their local VA medical facilities need improvements.

“When asked what needs to improve, access was the principal concern with veterans indicating VA needs to hire more doctors, decrease wait times and travel for appointments, and streamline procedures and system. Veterans also indicated that VA needs to improve its phone systems to make them more user-friendly.”"